vegan Brownie Kipferl

This post is also available in: Deutsch

This blog post is also available in German.

Brownie meets Kipferl – the chocolaty version of the traditional vanilla kipferl. These cookies are easy to make, sure to succeed, absolutely delicious and the perfect Zero Waste Christmas gift. In addition, these Brownie Kipferl are egg and dairy free, as well as baked with vegan margarine. That makes them completely vegan. The well-known combination of chocolate and walnuts from Brownies is guaranteed to taste good to everyone! A chocolaty temptation that should not be missing during the Advent season or even after the holidays.

brownie meets kipferl

This year our Christmas bakery was very heavy on the sugar cookies. Most of the cookies we baked were with vanilla, white sponge mixture or a hint of lemon. Something chocolaty urgently needed to be added to the collection of Christmas cookies! And since the vegan vanilla kipferl tasted so delicious this Advent season, I thought to myself, why not just bake a chocolate version? Nevertheless, I didn’t just want to bake the same recipe again, so I had the idea to use the classic ingredients of brownies for kipferl.

vegan brownie kipferl

These brownie kipferl consists of the two main ingredients of classic brownies, namely cocoa powder and walnuts. Both are essential when I bake brownies. The remaining ingredients are kept simple and correspond to those you use for traditional vanilla kipferl. As they are flour, sugar and vegan margarine. The vanilla is simply replaced with the cocoa powder and the almonds with walnuts.

The rest of the process and the preparation of the kipferl is exactly the same as with the vanilla ones. In this article you will find instructions, including tips on how to make your kipferl look really beautiful.

How it works with the perfect glaze

After baking, you can of course just leave them as they are. But it will be much nicer and more special if you decorate them with chocolate. Especially if you want to gift them to somebody.

Melting chocolate is a peculiar thing and a somewhat delicate process if you ask me. I used to melt it directly in the pan and then I was confused why the result didn’t look nice. Eventually, thanks to cookbooks, I found out how to do it right. Which is in a bain marine. If you already know the technique, you can simply scroll down an skip this part, otherwise I want to pass on my procedure to those of you who struggle with making the perfect glaze.

First you pour water into a pan and bring it to the boil. Break the chocolate – I take mostly dark chocolate, as these used to be vegan – into pieces so that it melts faster and add it to a bowl. Place the bowl on the pan with the boiling water, like that the chocolate melts with the heat of the steam. You may reduce the heat or even turn off the stove completely. It`s very important that no water splashes into the chocolate during the melting process. Pour the melted chocolate into a bowl and then dip the ends of each kipferl briefly into the chocolate. Take your time and let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.

Then I use to place the kipferl on a cake rack and place a baking tray under it, like that the rest of the chocolate doesn’t drip onto the worktop and mess everything up. The purchase of a cake rack is really worth it! When working with glaze a rack is an absolute life saver.

A little tip: if you want your icing to shine beautifully, mix some coconut oil under the melted chocolate. This gives the glaze a beautiful shine. You can use whatever chocolate or brand you like for the glaze.

alternative to walnuts

Walnuts are in season during winter and you can easily find them locally. But not everyone likes or tolerates them. You can exchange the walnuts in this brownie kipferl recipe for any other nuts. Hazelnuts, almonds, pecans or cashews, the recipe also works with these nut alternatives. Technically though it’s not brownie, it’s just chocolate croissant then, but that’s just being a smart-arse from my part.

low waste brownie kipferl

This becomes a low waste recipe if you buy as many ingredients as possible unpacked. Buy flour, cocoa powder and sugar in the bulk shop. Walnuts can currently be found at most weekly markets, but also in bulk shops. You can simply grind them yourself – I’ve already written about how to grind nuts by yourself – all you need is a food processor or a good mixer.

sugar vs. sugar-free

I used xylitol for this recipe. Actually, I use it for practically all my baking recipes. Personally, I just feel better when I bake with xylitol. However, not everyone tolerates or likes xylitol, so you can easily use regular sugar, cane sugar or coconut blossom sugar for this recipe. But I didn’t test it myself.
If you’re interested in sugar and its effects, take a look at my blog post. Alternatives to sugar and its pros and cons can be found here.

Gluten-free Kipferl is that possible?

I keep getting inquiries about my recipes, regarding gluten-free! Openly and honestly: this is not my special field, since I practically never bake gluten-free. But as many of you are interested in this topic, I will try to introduce more gluten-free recipes in the new year. Otherwise, I assume that you can also bake this recipe with a gluten-free mixture, but may need a glue in the form of a flaxseed egg (1-2 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 5-6 tablespoons water) to keep the dough together.

Can I prepare the dough in advance?

Of course you can prepare the dough in advance as long as you keep it cool. It is best to prepare the dough the evening before and then place it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. This will also save you the cooling time the next day. The dough stays fresh 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.

The already baked cookies can be kept for 1-2 weeks in a cookie jar without any problems. As time goes by, however, they become a little dry.

that’s why you should try the brownie kipferl:

They are

• vegan
• lactose-free
• low waste
• insanely chocolaty
• simply prepared
• quickly prepared
• guaranteed to suceed
• super tasty
• a great zero waste gift
• perfect for preparation in advance

Here you can find more delicious & vegan Christmas delicacies:

• Chocolate Maple Pie with Pecans
• vegan Swiss jam filled cookies
• marzipan rolls served in a roasted apple
• raw gingerbread speculoo bliss balls
• matcha chocolate shortbread

If you are baking these vegan brownie kipferl, I would love your feedback here in the comments. If you share your creation of this recipe on Instagram, please don’t forget to link @velvetandvinegar and use the hashtag #velvetandvinegar. So my community and I won’t miss your contribution.

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